The HOCK CIA Challenge Exam materials are specifically catered for candidates who want to tackle this special opportunity from the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). However, the IIA Challenge Exam historically has a low rate. Therefore, even if you’re an experienced accountant or auditor, you should study with a good review course like HOCK. So in this article, I’ll review HOCK’s Challenge Exam materials.
Brian Hock, CMA and CIA, started working on accounting training programs in Moscow more than 20 years. Back then, he had classroom-style reviews of the CPA, CMA, CIA, and CFA exams. His training style was successful with his students, who appreciated his passion for accounting. So in 2003, Brian founded HOCK International and began to train accounting students worldwide. Today, HOCK’s web-based course helps global candidates achieve their career goals by passing their credential exams.
The accounting world already knows HOCK for its CIA exam prep courses like the CIA Review Complete and CIA Review Standard courses. But now, HOCK also has a specific course dedicated to the CIA Challenge Exam. Basically, this exam gives certain accountants—like CPAs—a faster route to becoming a CIA. Therefore, let’s dig into the HOCK study materials to see if HOCK can help you pass this special opportunity.
HOCK ensures you review every topic on the CIA Challenge Exam ACCA syllabus. Plus, HOCK has plenty of practice questions, a study plan, a thorough textbook, and lots of personal support. And the HOCK CIA videos are popular with visual learners, too.
To start, HOCK uses PassMapTM and a personalized study planner to lead you through the exam materials. When you first access your online dashboard, you’ll be prompted to fill out the details of your study plan. For instance, you can enter the anticipated date of your Challenge Exam. Next, HOCK estimates the number of hours you should study each week to stay on track.
From there, the PassMapTM system outlines what content you should study and when you should study it. For example, when you log into your dashboard, you’ll find the suggested textbook passages and video lectures for that study session. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to take practice questions related to those readings. In this way, PassMapTM directs your studies until you review the entire Challenge Exam syllabus.
HOCK’s Challenge Exam package also includes over 22 hours of video lectures. The lectures combine recorded live instruction plus slides to clearly outline the material. And although the videos cover as much material as the HOCK books, they are still thorough. You’ll also receive copies of the slides so you can follow along with the videos and take notes. However, the slides are in a PowerPoint format.
Also, you should note that the videos must be streamed. Therefore, you’ll need an internet connection to watch them.
Even though the CIA Challenge Exam only includes 150 MCQs (multiple-choice questions), you should still have a big test bank of questions to practice. Therefore, HOCK’s CIA Challenge Exam materials include over 1,340 MCQs.
What’s more, HOCK provides detailed answer explanations for all answer choices, even the incorrect ones. And if you read all of them as you work through the questions, you’ll learn the concepts better.
Here’s something to consider when you’re picking a CIA Challenge Exam review course: what happens when you have a question? Does the provider give you access to support?
Well, with HOCK, you can use the Student Forum when you’re stuck on a problem. Basically, this online forum lists previous questions from other users and the responses they received from a HOCK expert. Oftentimes, you can search through the Q&A and solve your problem. But if not, you can submit your question and receive a response, usually within a day or two.
And really, even if you don’t have a specific question, it’s a good idea to skim through the topics and read some of the replies. After all, you might find the answer to a question you didn’t even know you had and learn something new!
A digital textbook is included with the HOCK Challenge Exam materials, too. Basically, it uses a mix of text and bullet lists to outline the content of the CIA Challenge Exam syllabus. And although I wish you could take notes within the digital textbook itself, you could use a notebook or even a Word file.
The book is easy to read yet thorough. In fact, the HOCK CIA books start from square one. So even if you don’t have a strong internal auditing background, you’ll still learn the necessary concepts.
When you purchase HOCK’s CIA Challenge Exam package, you’ll receive a personalized study plan, practice questions, a digital textbook and flashcards, and a mock exam. Plus, you’ll also receive access to the HOCK student question-and-answer forum.
Access length | Unlimited |
Textbook | Digital only |
Test bank | 1,340+ MCQs |
Video lectures | |
Audio lectures | |
Adaptive learning platform | |
Flashcards | Digital |
Personalized study plan | |
Mock exam | |
Price (before discounts) | $699 |
Brian Hock leads each of the HOCK CIA videos himself. His enthusiasm for accounting immediately becomes clear. And this excitement helps the viewer stay engaged in the topics being presented.
What’s more, Brian records each video in a traditional classroom setup. This way, it feels like he is lecturing directly to you. Besides, his videos are much more engaging than the providers who give you little more than PowerPoint presentations.
HOCK users benefit from three different methods of personal support. First, techs are available in case you have issues related to the technology side of your HOCK course. Second, experts are just a click away when you have questions about the Challenge Exam syllabus topics. And third, HOCK provides exam support, too. For instance, if needed, the HOCK experts can help you figure out how to register for the exam in your jurisdiction.
The HOCK course comes with a personalized study planner. Specifically, when you begin a HOCK CIA course, you’ll start with an introduction aptly titled “Start Here: How to Study.” In short, this tutorial goes over the functionality of the HOCK materials. Then, you’ll be prompted to set up a study plan based on the time you can dedicate to studying each week.
Basically, the study planner gives you feedback about how much content you still need to study before your exam date. Then, based on your progress through the materials, it estimates how many more hours you should study. With this kind of analysis, you can be honest with yourself and plan out your study time accordingly.
Accountants love analysis. So it’s nice to find so much analysis about your progress in the HOCK course. For example, on your HOCK dashboard, you’ll find feedback about what topics on the exam syllabus you are consistently getting wrong when you work on practice questions. With this knowledge, you can go back to the HOCK CIA book and re-study that content. Afterward, you can create a Study Session that only feeds you questions about content you previously missed. In this manner, you can continue to drill down the topics until you’ve mastered everything on the Challenge Exam.
Before you take the real CIA Challenge Exam, you should find time to take a full-length simulated (or mock) exam. More specifically, plan time to find a quiet place, sit down, and test yourself with a complete practice exam. You should time yourself, too. After all, one of the biggest challenges of taking any exam is the mental dexterity to stay focused for the entire exam. And you should practice your pacing, too, to ensure that you’ll answer all of the questions before the exam period is over.
For this reason, HOCK users can take a full-length simulated exam that is included with the CIA Challenge Exam course. Moreover, the mock test even has new questions that aren’t in the test bank. All the questions will be completely new to you, just like on exam day. And the mock exam is timed just like the real exam, too, so you can practice your pacing.
And finally, HOCK gives you unlimited access to all the online study materials. In contrast, many other providers only give you access to your online materials for a certain time period. For instance, 12- or 18-month access is common. And even if you plan to pass the Challenge Exam in a year, busy work schedules and demanding personal lives can easily derail those good intentions. Therefore, it’s best to study with a provider like HOCK that doesn’t revoke your online access after a limited time. Otherwise, without unlimited access, you could have to re-pay expensive fees to continue studying for the CIA Challenge Exam. In the end, it can actually be less expensive to pick materials with unlimited access from the beginning.
HOCK’s unlimited access to online materials is a big plus.
All of the HOCK CIA Challenge Exam materials are online. Everything—from the videos down to the textbook and the question bank—must be viewed online. Therefore, you’ll need an internet connection to study.
Of course, most parts of the country have good internet connections now. So perhaps an online course isn’t an issue for most users. But if you have particularly slow connections or like to study away from home when you don’t have web access, just be warned and plan ahead.
The HOCK CIA Challenge Exam test bank has 1,340 MCQs. At the onset, this might seem like plenty. However, most users spend a lot of study time answering questions. And after a while, you might actually work through all of the questions in the HOCK test bank.
But regardless, the questions are high quality and replicate the ones you’ll encounter on exam day.
Yes, HOCK includes digital flashcards. However, they are PowerPoint files. Therefore, you’ll need the PowerPoint software on your computer to open them.
To start, let’s remember that the IIA Challenge Exam pass rates are low. In fact, only about 39-42% of candidates pass their exams. However, you increase your chances when you study with tools that match your learning style.
Therefore, yes—it’s possible to pass the Challenge Exam if you study with HOCK. However, if you’re looking for a top-rated CIA Challenge Exam course, check out the Gleim CIA Challenge Exam materials – the Gleim package offers some features that HOCK doesn’t have.
The price of the HOCK CIA Challenge Exam Study Materials is $699.
Yes! Actually, HOCK offers no-haggle financing with an easy application. If you need more details, you’ll find them on the HOCK website when you check out.
Absolutely! In fact, HOCK has a 14-day trial that is free for new users. And HOCK doesn’t require a credit card to sign up for the trial. You do, however, need to share your email address. But once you do, you’ll receive a link to your free trial, where you can test the study materials, questions, videos, and more.
You might have heard about HOCK stream, which is a new monthly subscription service that gives users access to video lectures and HOCK instructor support. However, at this time, HOCK stream only includes CMA materials. In the future, though, HOCK plans to add CIA videos as well.
HOCK’s CIA Challenge Exam study materials are quality yet still come at an affordable price. You might especially benefit from HOCK’s textbooks if you need to brush up on the topics on the CIA Challenge Exam syllabus. Or, if you’re more of a visual learner, you’ll probably find HOCK’s videos to be informative yet engaging. Moreover, the PassMapTM system and your study planner will help you stay on track to be ready for exam day.
Plus, keep in mind that thousands of CIAs have their credentials because they studied with HOCK International. Assuming that you’ll always have an internet connection when you study, HOCK could also help you pass the IIA Challenge Exam.
Susan L. is one of the biggest cheerleaders on the I Pass the CPA Exam team. She loves seeing our readers succeed. You'll often find her writing about all things accounting.